Strawberry Stampede 5K Planned

SPECIAL TO THE NEWS

Reaching Wellness Fulton County will hold its first annual Strawberry Stampede 5K Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run on Saturday, June 9, at 8:30 a.m. starting at Alexander Financial across from the Fulton County Courthouse. The event takes place during and as part of the annual Strawberry Festival.

Registration begins at 7:15 a.m. Runner categories include Fun Run: 7 and under. 5K ages 7- 12, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60+. All registered and paid participants will receive a T-shirt. Registration forms are available at http://bit.ly/StrawStamp or by calling 717-485-6322.

Renee Earley, event chairperson, was asked why she has committed herself to establishing a 5K run. “I recently became involved with Reaching Wellness. We have a group of very dedicated folks – mostly like me, with young children and a belief that our area is one of the best places there is to raise a family.”

But, Earley says, there is something wrong with the way we eat and choose to exercise – or not to. “People have turned themselves over to fast foods, restaurant foods and convenience foods since the 1950s. Few people know how many calories and nutrients they are consuming when someone else is cooking or packaging their food. We are reaching the turnover of the first full generation of this, and it is now playing itself out in spiraling obesity rates, with children becoming diabetic at earlier and earlier ages,” Earley said.

Robert Roush, Ph.D, president and CEO of the Fulton County Medical Center Foundation, said that this is the case for several reasons, “First of all, the food supply is now dominated by corn byproducts like high-fructose corn syrup, which can only be processed by the liver. There is evidence that this is an addictive source of empty calories that we now load into almost every product at the grocery store and fastfood offering out there. When this is combined with a sedentary lifestyle and general overeating, the results have been disastrous.” A third of the population in Fulton County is now obese. When combined with being overweight (pre-obese) it is more than half the population.

“So, to raise awareness about lifestyle and exercise, we are having a 5K walk/run and kid’s fun run,” Earley said. “We are also trying to raise money to begin programs that will bring the community and families together for a healthier lifestyle,” she added.

Reaching Wellness is sponsored by Fulton County Medical Center Foundation. All donations are tax deductible.Visit the calendar at http://www.fultoncountypa.com/.